


All About Pretending

by paradis



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 2x01, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-21
Updated: 2011-09-21
Packaged: 2017-10-23 22:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/255707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradis/pseuds/paradis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve gets out and it’s all about pretending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All About Pretending

**Author's Note:**

> Can I call this a drabble? It's about as close to a drabble as I get? Or a ficlet? It's a whatever. It's short, is my point. But I was like: OH I HAVE TO WRITE SOMETHING. And then this came out. But. I don't really know what to say. Um, okay. Proceed.

Steve gets out and it’s all about pretending, he thinks. Pretending to smile, pretending it’s okay to talk, pretending it’s okay to walk and run and move in general. When in reality? All he wants is to crawl home and into his bed and never _move_ again.

Danny, Danny just acts like everything is pretty much okay, and what the fuck is that all about? He wonders. He bites his tongue on it though, because that’s how he is, and he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t do anything, because that’s how he was trained, to wait it out. Eventually, if something is bothering Danny, he’ll say something. They work through it together and it’s all about _pretending_ and Steve hates pretending more than anything.

And when Lt. Governor Denning clears him and reinstates Five O and they’re back at HQ, Steve lets out a breath and turns towards Danny. Danny is gazing back at him with blank eyes and that’s when it hits Steve that maybe he’s pretending, too. They’re all pretending, here, and it’s _disgusting._ He walks forward and tugs on his hand until he looks up and Steve murmurs, “Drive me home, please?” Because he hasn’t been home yet, he doesn’t even know what his house _looks_ like right now, he’s exhausted, worn to the bone, but he doesn’t want it to seep through to anyone else.

Danny stares up at him for all of three seconds in total blankness before he nods slowly and follows him out to the car. Steve sort of manhandles him to the passenger side, because he can tell that there are a lot of things on Danny’s mind; there’s a lot of things on Steve’s mind, too – but he’s always been pretty excellent at compartmentalization. He drives through the streets effortlessly until he gets to his house and that’s when Danny snaps out of it. “I thought I was driving you home?” He says, blue eyes snapping over to Steve.

Steve offers him what he likes to think is his sheepish grin, “I missed driving?” He offers. He pretends it doesn’t make his heart ache when Danny doesn’t have a smart reply waiting on the tip of his tongue.

Steve turns the car off and opens the door, pausing to turn back to Danny. “Coming, Danno?” He asks softly. Danny looks up slowly, blinking at him.

“Yeah,” he clears his throat. “Yeah, I’m coming in.”

“Okay,” Steve nods. He shuts his door and makes his way up the path, then unlocks the door. He walks in the door and turns the lights on, taking a deep breath. Here, he’s not pretending. He doesn’t need to, and he doesn’t want Danny to, either. He hears Danny’s footsteps and turns around.

“Danny,” he says softly and makes a noise that’s a cross between a whimper and _something_ else, but he wouldn’t know what to call it. Danny looks at him and it’s the first time today that he sees emotion in his blue-grey eyes. He feels warmth spread through his veins.

“Steve,” Danny says lowly. “Steve, I thought – I didn’t know what to – and then.” He stops, curling his fingers into a fist and glancing down at the floor. Something in the back of Steve’s head notes that it’s probably the first time Danny’s been speechless around him and makes him want to laugh.

Instead he says, “I know,” and inches closer towards him. Danny looks up then.

“We’re a mess,” he murmurs. “You’re – and I –“ he breaks off, laughing a little. He reaches up and brushes a finger across Steve’s cheekbone. Steve leans into the touch and smiles just a little.

“We’re messy together though,” Steve whispers back. “That’s the best part, Danno. We can - _together_ \- we can clean it up.” Danny offers him a small, sad smile.

“Babe.”

“ _Danno,_ ” and it comes out desperate and choked, unsure and pleading. He leans in closer and Danny shakes his head, laughing just a little more. Then he reaches up and presses his lips against Steve’s and Steve feels like he’s _finally_ home – and sure, it sounds a little cheesy; a lot cheesy, probably – but it doesn’t matter, because he feels good. God, he feels really good.

He tangles his fingers in Danny’s hair and presses himself even closer against him and Danny lets out a noise that Steve wants to hear a thousand times again. He breaks away. “Steve,” he pants, “This – perfect, but – I just,” he wraps his arms around Steve’s neck. “We can’t,” he murmurs against his neck. “Not tonight. Too _fast._ ”

And Steve would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed, but he gets it, he gets where Danny is coming from. He gets why he doesn’t want to move too fast because they’re treading dangerous waters, but they’re in it together and Steve loves Danny and he loves Gracie and he loves his team and together, they’re a family. Together they’re unbeatable, they’ll get through anything.

But right now he’s tired and worn out and he doesn’t want to be alone, so he nuzzles his nose against Danny’s hair and says, “Okay, I understand. But Danno? Don’t – can you stay? Please? I don’t – I can’t –“ he breaks off because he doesn’t have the right words to admit weakness – has never had the right words to admit defeat – and Danny must understand, because he tightens his arms around his neck for a moment before pulling back to look into his eyes.

“Of course, babe,” he says. “I’ll stay.”

They fall asleep together whispering all the things they’re tired of pretending, and Steve thinks they have one hell of a chance yet.


End file.
